Potential spoilers for Spider-Man: No Way Home follow. You have been warned.
Spider-Man: No Way Home fans are at odds over the identity of a new mystery character following another tease from star Tom Holland.
Speaking to Empire Magazine about the webslinger's upcoming third MCU movie, Holland revealed that No Way Home included "one of the coolest scenes I've ever shot". That sequence, Holland says, contains a mysterious individual that he's not at liberty to reveal.
“It’s four people [Peter Parker, Aunt May, Happy Hogan and one other] sitting at a table, having a conversation about what it’s like to be a superhero," Holland teased. "And it was amazing. The other day we watched the scene, my brother and I, and our jaws were on the floor.”
As you might expect, Spider-Man and Marvel fans were quick to jump on Holland's quote and debate the mystery character in question. We're about to enter potential spoiler territory for the film, too, so turn back now if you don't want anything ruined before you see the movie in December.
An early frontrunner for the teased individual is Matt Murdock, who was portrayed by Charlie Cox in Netflix's Daredevil series:
This guy pic.twitter.com/G9jK8jRBpeOctober 25, 2021
Others aren't so sure about that, though. Some claim that it'll be Andrew Garfield's version of Spider-Man/Peter Parker, whose involvement has been heavily hinted at via leaked footage and other rumors:
everyone saying tobey but i think andrew is more likely since according to rumors he is introduced earlier in the film so if it was tobey it wouldnt make a lot of sense for andrew not to be there as wellOctober 25, 2021
There are a few Spider-Man fans who think it'll be Tobey Maguire's iteration of Peter Parker, however, who will be introduced via this scene:
Mystery character huh? We all know who it is pic.twitter.com/K34r0qclhuOctober 25, 2021
And then, of course, there are the more amusing predictions. Some fans have suggested that Tom Hardy's Venom will show up, while other possibilities have included Jon Bernthal's Punisher, the Fantastic Four's Thing, or even one of the Sinister Six:
Enough of the fake secrecy Marvel, this is the worst kept secret in Hollywood, we all know who you're talking about pic.twitter.com/p4O8sMaUVjOctober 25, 2021
Analysis: who is the Spider-Man: No Way Home character that Tom Holland is teasing?
In our view, there are only two candidates that Holland could be referring to.
The first is Matt Murdock. Rumors have swirled that Charlie Cox is reprising his role as the fan favorite lawyer in No Way Home, albeit in a cameo capacity. Leakers have claimed that Cox's Murdock will be the man responsible with leading Peter's defence in court – a prospect that isn't too outlandish.
Why? Well, the public (thanks to J. Jonah Jameson) believe that Peter killed Mysterio in Spider-Man: Far From Home. The movie's first trailer makes it look like he's been arrested and goes on trial for his supposed crimes. Who is better than Murdock, then, to come to Peter's aid and convince the jury that Peter was innocent (which we know he is anyway)?
If the mystery character isn't Murdock, we suspect it'll be Maguire's Peter Parker instead of Andrew Garfield's version.
According to rumors, Maguire will be an older Peter Parker in No Way Home. That means that he'll be more experienced than the other two and, as such, may act as a mentor to Holland's webslinger. Maguire could embody an Uncle Ben-like role, then, and provide Holland's Peter with the right amount of encouragement to become the hero that the MCU needs in No Way Home.
Which of these two possibilities is more likely? If we had to choose, it has to be Maguire. He's the original live-action Spider-Man, so Holland would definitely get a kick out of filming a scene with him.
Then there's Holland's quote about "having a conversation about what it means to be a superhero". This sounds like Maguire's Peter will provide some guidance to Holland's Peter, potentially in the film's third act, to give him the boost that he needs.
Of course, we could be completely wrong – we don't have any insider information on the movie, so the mystery character could be someone else. Given all of the rumors and leaks that have emerged about No Way Home, though, we suspect that this particular individual will be Tobey Maguire's Peter Parker.
For more on Spider-Man: No Way Home, check out our four theories on what its official title could mean, or look at why we think the Spider-Man threequel isn't as secretive as we've been led to believe. Alternatively, check out our guide on how to watch the Marvel movies in order.
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